Innocence

I managed to avoid the group for the day. When they went down to the pool, I headed back up to my room to change. I knew I couldn’t stay there, though because that would be the first place they would look for me.

I wandered the Strip for a while; it was a pretty interesting place. While I was walking, I came across a tattoo shop. I’ve been waiting to get a second tattoo for a while, so I just said the hell with it, and went in.

I made my way back to the hotel with my newly bandaged arm. To say I was in love with my tattoo would be an understatement. It held meaning to it, and was on display for everyone to see.

I was getting ready for the night, when my door opened, when my door opened. “Why does everyone and their mother have a key to my room?!” I asked, becoming slightly annoyed at this.

He simply shrugged. “Ask Jimmy, he’s the card snatcher of the group.”

I rolled my eyes. “He would.”

“So where’d you go?”

“I went and explored the city,” I said, going back to getting ready.

“What’s that?” He asked, walking over to me and looking at my arm.

I shrugged. “I got a new tattoo while I was out.”

“Wow… Very intense, but it fits.”

It was a real heart, not the cartoony one, being ripped open at the top by two hands. Then towards the bottom it was being sown up by a needle and thread. Above it, it says ‘I tear my heart open’, and under it says ‘I sow myself shut’.

“And it’s on your upper arm because you wear your heart on your sleeve,” he said, understanding exactly why I got it, and why I put it where I did.

“I wanted another tattoo, and this one seemed to fit for me right now.”

He nodded, still looking at it. “I like it, it really does fit you.” We were quiet for a minute, before he looked back up at me. “I heard about what happened between you and Brian earlier.”

I shrugged. “What about it?”

“Don’t try to act like it’s nothing to you, Manda. He was out of line.”

“Was he, Matt?” That threw him for a loop, because he gave me a confused look. “He really is right. I hate admitting it, but he really is. No, he didn’t have to be so harsh about it, though.”

“He was still out of line,” he grumbled, shaking his head.

I sighed, sitting down on the bed. I played with my hands, not looking up at him. “I’m in a really fucked up, dark place right now.”

“No you’re not, Manda.” He lifted my chin to look at him. “You’re just a bit lost right now. There’s nothing wrong with that. And instead of Brian yelling at you, he should be talking to you about it.” He pulled me up and took me into a hug. “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to us in the past. I never mean to hurt you, I really didn’t.”

Whoa… Where the hell did that come from? This was so random!

“I was mad and bitter for so long… But everything happens for a reason, right?” I pulled back to look at him and gave him a small smile. “I still love you, Matty. I still do, and I always will. You were my first everything, and I’ll never forget that.” He was quiet and stared at me forever.

The door suddenly opened again, and Val came in. “You guys ready to head out?”

We pulled away from each other quickly, and I went to the bathroom to put the finishing touches on my make up. “Just about,” I said, grabbing my eyeliner.

“Are we ready yet, Princess?” I heard Johnny ask, as he walks into the room.

“Are you ready yet, Gnome? It looks like you just rolled out of bed,” I said, shaking my head.

Val laughed, pulling him into a hug as he pouted. “Hey, it took him hours to look like this.”

“Why are you girls so mean today?” He huffed, pulling away from Val and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Why are you being such a girl today?” Brian whipped back as him and Michelle walked in.

I continued to finish my make up, and ignored the conversation. I felt weirdly awkward when Brian came in. I did not like this feeling… It really needed to go away.

“Oh look! It’s a party in here!” Jimmy exclaimed, as him and Lee walked in.

“I have a bone to pick with you, Mister!” I said, turning to look at him.

“Don’t give me that look!” He yelled, before trying to hide behind Leana, which was hilarious.

“What look?” I asked, confused.

“The look! The Manda look!”

I turned to Val and gave her a confused look. “What the fuck is he talking about?”

Matt laughed, shaking his head. “You have this look that you get, and it’s ’your look’.”

“I don’t have a look, I have no idea what you guys are talking about,” I said, shaking my head and grabbing my I.D. and money, since I didn’t want to carry around a purse. “Are we ready?”

“Let’s get this dealio on the road!” Jimmy said, skipping down the hall.